Realm of Knights

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “Well?” he asked.

  “Not here.” Just in case someone was watching, she didn’t want to pull the journal out of her pants.

  He nodded once before tossing her a cape. “Put it on. We need to return to the castle.”

  She did as he instructed. Instead of going back in through the main entrance, they headed around to the south side of the city. It was getting dark, making traversing through the thick grass difficult. They came to a small door in the wall guarded by a single soldier. Ackley showed him his wrist, revealing a tattoo. They were immediately granted entrance. The two of them proceeded to the second wall where the guards waved them through.

  Once they were safely inside the castle, Reid pulled the book out of her pants and began flipping through it. There were several sketches of the castle. An X marked a couple of the rooms.

  “Well?” Ackley asked for the second time, walking alongside her.

  She clutched his arm, pulling him to an abrupt halt as everything suddenly made sense. “The men are assassins from Axian. They plan to assassinate you, Idina, and Gordon.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ackley cursed. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes,” Reid answered.

  “When will the assassinations take place?”

  She released his arm to start combing through the pages for a date and time.

  The prince pinched her elbow, steering her into an unoccupied office. Plucking the journal from her hands, he flipped through it. “How’d you get this?” he asked, leaning against the large desk in the middle of the room.

  Before Reid could answer, Idina joined them. “I didn’t expect you back so early,” the princess said. She closed the door and stood next to her brother, peering over his shoulder at the journal.

  Reid explained how she’d posed as a servant, and how, by doing so, was able to obtain the journal from the closet. Then she told them she’d removed her dress and pretended to be a man to observe the Axians in the tavern. “The journal has your names and bedchamber locations. That’s why I think the men plan to assassinate all three of you.”

  “The three of us?” Idina asked in surprise.

  “There’s nothing in there about Eldon.” Maybe they planned to do something different with him.

  “And you managed to figure all of this out today?” Idina folded her arms.

  “Yes.” And by accomplishing the task, she’d secured her father’s freedom and land. “I want the pardon and deed Prince Ackley promised.”

  “Of course.” He straightened, then started pacing in front of the desk. “You’re more valuable than I thought you’d be,” he mused, the right side of his mouth pulling into a half smile.

  “You have to make Reid a member of the Knights,” Idina said.

  “I know.” Ackley stopped in front of Reid. “Say you’ll join me and become a Knight.”

  “I didn’t think women were allowed to join.”

  “They’re not,” he said. “But we’ll make an exception for you since you have unique talents.” His eyes gleamed with excitement.

  Reid had two paths laid out before her. Now that her family was going to be pardoned and her father would retain his land, she could return home and live the rest of her years in Ellington as Lady Reid. She would probably marry, which meant tending to her husband’s needs and raising children. Or she could face the unknown. A blank slate. Become a Knight. She had no idea where they trained, lived, or even what they did each day.

  “Well?” Ackley asked.

  “I don’t know. Can I have some time to think about it?”

  “You have until tomorrow morning.”

  “If you decide to become a Knight,” Idina said, “we’ll be working together. I help manage information. There’s a group of Knights that function as a unit within the army so no one suspects anything. That’s why Gordon is aware of what’s going on, but Eldon isn’t. I evaluate everything the spies tell us to make sure we’re not missing something.”

  “My sister sees patterns and understands motivations no one else does,” Ackley said, patting Reid on her back. “I hope you decide to join us. We need you. However, I want you to understand this is a lifelong commitment. If you want to marry and have children, you can no longer be a Knight. The only allegiance you can have is to the Knights and the crown.”

  “I understand.” For the first time in Reid’s life, she felt excited about the future.

  That night, Reid tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her father would not approve of her becoming a Knight. He’d want her to return home and marry, to lead a life similar to her older sisters. Being a Knight would be dangerous. Risky. She could die. It was something she’d never considered before. Could she be a member of an elite assassination and spying squad? Should she be a member?

  The right thing to do would be to go home. Put all of this behind her. The problem was she didn’t want to. As illogical as it was, she wanted to join the Knights of the Realm. She wanted something more than what she’d been doing with her life. At least for the next few years. Then she could quit and lead a boring domestic life her father would approve of.

  The hardest part about this decision would be concealing it from her family and friends.

  When the sky started to lighten, she gave up on sleeping and sat up. She yelped. In the corner of her room, Ackley was sitting on a chair watching her.

  “What are you doing in here?” she hissed.

  Chuckling, he stood. “Don’t worry, I haven’t been here long.” He stretched. “I’ve been up all night keeping watch over Idina. When she woke up and cussed me out for being overprotective, I decided to come here to see if you’ve made up your mind.”

  Reid rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Do you have someone watching the Axian men?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Don’t you trust them to do their job?”

  “It’s not them I don’t trust. What if there’s another group of Axians we aren’t aware of?”

  “You mean in case one group fails or is discovered?”

  “Exactly.”

  If Reid were in his situation, she’d be worried about her sister’s well-being, too. She slid out of bed, thankful she’d slept in her pants and tunic.

  Ackley eyed her, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’ve made up my mind.”

  “And?”

  “I’ll join you.”

  A wicked smile spread across his face. “Excellent. Let’s get you sworn in so you can help thwart these assassinations.”

  Reid stood at the bottom of the dais, gazing at the two empty throne chairs. Was she making the right decision? For the first time in her life, she was the one in charge. The thought both thrilled and scared her.

  Ackley brushed his hand over the king’s throne. “Our job as Knights is to protect the kingdom no matter the cost.”

  “Did your father appoint you to this position?”

  He shook his head. “My father did not know about the Knights. Someone else…found me.”

  Desire to know who recruited him filled her. However, she suspected if he had any intention of telling her who, he would have already done so. Instead of asking that question, she voiced another. “How long have you been a Knight?”

  “Not long.” He patted the throne chair before turning to smile at her. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” Not really. She wanted him to get this over with before she changed her mind. “What do I do?”

  “Kneel.”

  She knelt before the dais. Ackley pulled out a scroll and read from it, ordering Reid to repeat after him.

  “I, Lady Reid Ellington, do hereby swear fealty to the kingdom of Marsden. I will protect the crown with my own life, I will do whatever is asked of me, and I will give up all rights to my title and land if so needed. My first and only priority is defending the crown. I am officially a member of the Knights of the Realm, a servant to the kingdom. I am your sword.” When he finished and gestured for her to rise, she
did so.

  The prince raised his right hand. “I accept your pledge. Welcome to the Knights.”

  “Thank you.” It was strange to make such a monumental pledge in front of only one person.

  “There is one thing left to do.” After he rolled up the scroll, he set it to the side.

  “What’s that?”

  “You must be marked.”

  Marked? What did that entail? Then she remembered Ackley showing the soldier some sort of tattoo on his arm when they’d entered the city yesterday.

  “Every Knight bears a mark on his left wrist. It is so we can identify one another, and we know who to trust.” He waved her over to a side door. They exited the throne room. “However, since you’re a woman, I think we’ll put your mark higher up on your arm so as not to be seen if you’re wearing a dress.” He took her to an office where an elderly man waited for them. “Do you have everything ready?”

  “I do.” The elderly man nodded. He pointed at Reid and then the chair. “Sit and I’ll begin.”

  Reid sat. On a small table next to the chair was a bottle of ink and several needles. The old man smiled a toothy grin. He lifted his sleeve, revealing a mark on his wrist. “You’re a Knight?” she asked.

  He nodded. With shaking hands, he reached for a needle, dipping it in ink.

  “I want to put the mark up here,” Ackley said, tapping the underside of her arm above her elbow.

  “I can do that.” He lifted the needle. “Pull your sleeve up and I’ll begin.”

  She hesitated, staring at his shaking hands.

  The prince chuckled. “Afraid, Ellington?”

  “No, not at all.” She shoved her sleeve up, revealing her bare skin.

  The elderly Knight leaned forward, his eyes clearing and his hands steadying. He got to work, creating the mark on Reid’s arm. Unable to watch, she turned away and bit her lip, grunting at the pain. Ackley told her about when he and Gordon had gotten lost at the young age of ten. Their father had been furious they’d snuck out of the castle and gotten turned around in the forest. Reid appreciated the distraction. When the Knight finally finished, she marveled at the small tattoo. When she studied it, she realized it resembled a birthmark. However, upon closer inspection, she saw it was an intricate dagger.

  “It suits you,” the prince said.

  She thought so, too. Pulling her sleeve down, she stood and thanked the man.

  Ackley waved her out into the hallway. “I have your first assignment,” he said. “Would you be willing to stay at the castle for a little while?”

  “Yes.” Reid hadn’t given much thought as to where she’d be living.

  “Excellent.”

  “What do you need me to do?”

  “Henrick wants my sister dead. She is vulnerable at night, and I’m not comfortable with a man watching her sleep. I’d do it again, except I need to rest myself.”

  “Are you saying you want me to stay with Princess Idina at night?”

  “Yes. That way, if an assassin manages to sneak in, I know you’ll be there to protect her.”

  “Of course.” That was easy enough. So long as Reid wasn’t in a deep sleep. But she could set up a few traps that would alert her to someone’s presence.

  “Come, I’ll show you the barracks.” Ackley led her out of the castle, across the lawn on the east side, and to a square building. “This houses the castle guards and the king’s army when they’re here.” The building was made from the same stones as the castle. However, there weren’t any ornate details or windows.

  They went in the front entrance. A long hallway extended in both directions. Directly ahead was a staircase leading up. Ackley went to the right, opening the fifth door. “This is my office. Gordon’s is over there.” He pointed to the left. Pulling the journal out from under his tunic, he dropped it on his desk. “I need to get a message to my brother to let him know what’s going on.” He scribbled something on a piece of paper.

  While he did that, Reid examined the bookshelves that lined the four walls. Most of the books had to do with war and spying. She wondered if Ackley had read them all.

  “Want to spar?” he asked, folding the paper and sliding it inside the journal.

  “I would love to.” Back home, she practiced frequently. Since leaving, she hadn’t kept up with training like she should have.

  “Come.” He led her out of the office and down the hall. He pushed open a door and exited the building, entering an inner courtyard. The space was huge with several fighting rings set up.

  “How many Knights are there?” she asked, staring at her newly marked arm.

  “Roughly twenty-five are still active.”

  “And how many men are in the army?”

  “Gordon has around a thousand men under his command. It’s not that big, which is why we require the dukes to provide soldiers as needed.”

  “But there are always a thousand soldiers here in the county of Alder?”

  “Yes. Right now, most are stationed along Lake Folme to make sure Henrick doesn’t invade us.”

  “And you train here?” she asked.

  “Yes. I remember coming here with my father as a boy. This is where he taught me to fight.”

  “I’m sorry your father died.” Losing a parent was always difficult.

  “He became ill and suffered greatly.” Ackley ran a hand over his face. “At least now my father is at peace.” Going over to the wall where wooden practice swords were hanging, he grabbed three. “Do you think you can use two of these? They’re a little heavy for training purposes.”

  Taking the swords, Reid held one in each hand, feeling their weight. “I can use them.”

  His lips curled into a smile. “Excellent. Because I need a good workout.” He swung his sword.

  Reid dropped to the ground, almost losing her swords in the process. Training took over, and her mind cleared of everything except her opponent. She jumped to her feet, twisting away as she did so. Raising her swords, she bounced on her toes, ready to dodge. Ackley’s eyes remained focused on hers, giving no indication what he planned to do next. As he stood there, she was reminded of how catlike he was. Long arms and legs, a graceful predator luring her in. Knox had told her when she faced someone like this, she shouldn’t strike first. She maintained her stance, ready to defend herself.

  After about a minute, Ackley smiled and attacked. He swung his sword with precision and accuracy. Reid parried each blow, the force of the hits making her arms shake. As his movements got faster, she could barely keep up. She had a feeling he was restraining himself. The second she thought about him kicking her, she jumped, narrowly avoiding his foot. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into his chest before she could move away. He pinned her arms down with his left arm, the sword in his right hand at her throat.

  She blinked. He was ridiculously fast and well-trained.

  “The men you’ll be facing have all had basic combat training,” he whispered in her ear. “If you want to beat them, you’ll need to do something unexpected.” He released her.

  Rubbing her arm across her forehead, she tried to catch her breath.

  “Again?” Ackley asked, not appearing winded in the slightest.

  She nodded, not having the energy to respond. The two of them sparred for hours. Reid didn’t win a single match. However, she learned a lot. Ackley forced her to take all the moves she’d been taught and change them up. As a result, she became faster and was able to hold him off longer. The better she got, the harder he pushed. When she could barely lift her swords, he called an end to their session.

  He took her to her bedchamber so she could bathe and change. After she finished, she was to meet him in the sitting room for supper.

  Soaking in the warm water of her tub, Reid didn’t think she had the energy to pull her body out. However, the thought of Ackley teasing her for taking so long was enough motivation to get out. After she put on a simple dress, she pulled her hair back into a bun. Even though she could leave it
down, she didn’t feel comfortable doing so. It would take some time to get used to acting and dressing like a lady.

  When she reached the sitting room, she heard several angry voices arguing from within. Opening the door, Reid saw Harlan, Knox, and Royce on the sofa while Ackley stood in front of them, his hands on his hips.

  “What are the three of you doing here?” Reid demanded. Her childhood friends turned and stared at her. Harlan’s eyes widened, Knox kept blinking, and Royce’s mouth dropped open. She sighed. It was the first time they’d seen her in a dress.

  “Didn’t Prince Gordon order you to remain with the soldiers back in Ellington?” Ackley said, his voice laced with fury.

  Knox was the first to look away from Reid. “He did. But Duke Ellington showed up.”

  “What?” Reid asked, standing beside Ackley. Her father had traveled to the Gast River in search of her?

  “The duke wasn’t happy when he arrived and Lord, er, Lady Reid wasn’t there,” Knox explained. “He ordered us to go after her.”

  “How is my father?” Reid asked.

  “Better,” Royce answered. “However, he didn’t have the strength to travel to the City of Buckley, so he sent us.”

  She glanced at Ackley. What were they supposed to do with her friends? Send them home?

  “I can’t deal with this right now,” he mumbled.

  A servant entered carrying a tray with food. After she set it on the low table, she left.

  “The three of you can remain here to visit with Lady Reid. I have other things to tend to. Lady Reid, a word before I go?” Taking her arm, Ackley led her to the corner of the room. “I’ll have a room prepared for your friends. We’ll deal with them tomorrow. Tonight, I want you and Idina to sleep in a guest suite. I’ll have one of my men in Idina’s bedchamber in case an assassin comes.”

  “You can trust me to keep your sister safe.” She glanced over her shoulder at her friends. “I’m sorry they showed up.”

  His intense eyes pinned her in place. “Don’t forget you are a Knight. Your loyalty is to me, not your friends.”